FAQs

What is our Vision?

“A world where everyone has a decent place to live”

What is our Mission Statement?

Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with God’s people in need by building and renovating houses, so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which every person can experience God’s love and live grow into all that God intends.

Though shelter is a basic need that all human beings are entitled to, most Kenyans cannot afford to build decent houses for themselves due to financial constraints that are as a result of poverty.

They are therefore forced to live in substandard housing normally one or two rooms, made up of mud and wattle and with a grass thatched roof. With time, the mud wall develops holes, the roof leaks and the dusty floor harbors parasitic insects that infect the inhabitants of the house. The one or two rooms house between five and eight family members and are therefore overcrowded. Communicable diseases are common and the quality of life of persons forced to live in this kind of accommodation is poor.

To address this problem, Habitat for Humanity Kenya provides housing micro finance loans that are easy to pay off to the rural and peri-urban low income families to construct simple, decent and durable houses.

Who qualifies for a HFH Kenya loan?

For persons to qualify for an incremental housing loan, they must fulfill the following four simple conditions:

They must be economically active and earning an income of between 5,000 Kenya Shillings and 35,000 Kenya shillings.

They must be committed to repaying back the housing loan within the specified and agreed period.

They must have documentary proof of ownership of the land on which they wish to build.

They must be members of group not exceeding 30 people and not less than 15 people or active contributing members of a registered Savings and Credit Organization (SACCO).

How does one access a HFH Kenya Housing Loan?

One has to be an active, contributing member of the group of not less than 15 and 30 members.

HFH Kenya then trains the group on financial literacy and accountability and the co-guaranteeing mechanism in which group members agree to repay the loan should an individual member default.

Once the above is done, an individual member requests for a loan, with group members approving and witnessing the application.

An assessment of the ability of the individual and the group to repay back the loan is done by a HFH Kenya officer and if successful, the loan is approved.

Loans in rural areas are provided in three tranches: a foundation loan to enable the homeowner put up the foundation. This is repaid back in 6 to 24 months after which the member qualifies for a second and larger loan for walling, roofing and installation of doors. At this stage, the owner can move into the house. This loan is repaid back in 36 months. If the homeowner needs a third loan for ceiling, floor and other final finishes, this will be provided as the third and final loan.

Borrowing from the microfinance best practices, HFH Kenya focuses on groups of up to 30 members who meet regularly and contribute savings for their own capital accumulation. The groups are also trained in group dynamics.

How can an individual benefit from a HFHK housing loan?

In the rural areas, HFH Kenya only works with people who have organized themselves into groups of maximum 30 people. The group members normally co-guarantee each other when taking HFH Kenya loans, keep track of loan repayments and makes sure that the loan money taken is used only on housing. HFH Kenya does not therefore in any way deal with individuals.

In urban areas, in addition to working with groups as described above, HFH Kenya also works with workers’ Savings and Credit Organizations.

How much is a housing loan for both rural and urban areas?

HFH Kenya gives housing loans in incremental basis thereby ensuring that the beneficiaries do not strain in making repayments. HFH Kenya’s cost of one-standard complete house in the rural area (three roomed) ranges between USD2, 500 and USD3, 400. The first installment in a peri-urban setting is approximately USD.3, 500 (two roomed with a toilet) with room for expansion, the speed of which is dependent on the financial capability of a homeowner. The full house for a peri-urban house is three bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen, store, toilet and bathroom.